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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29942073">The Point of Contact</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miraculous_Content/pseuds/Miraculous_Content'>Miraculous_Content</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>MC-Lukanette's "No Context" November 2020 [8]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Miraculous Ladybug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Cut Contact, Endgame Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, F/M, Long-standing Crushes, Lukabug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 23:41:19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,779</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29942073</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miraculous_Content/pseuds/Miraculous_Content</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>On patrol one night, Ladybug meets up with Luka after she’d (as Marinette) cut contact with him for years. They end up talking and she learns that things are much different with him than she expects.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>MC-Lukanette's "No Context" November 2020 [8]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2200050</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>65</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Point of Contact</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    
<p></p><div class="copy"><p>Ladybug had long since gotten used to the monotony of her superhero life, though perhaps it was more accurate to say that she’d gone <em>numb</em> to it. There were only so many akuma one could take without seeing it as something formulaic, and she’d seen more than she could count.</p><p>Even when she went out on patrol, she didn’t think about it, merely hopping to wherever the next rooftop was and surveying the area. Thinking about the life she’d been roped into wasn’t productive and only succeeded in making her imagine unnecessary what-ifs. Paris didn’t need that kind of hero; they needed one devoid of attachment or longing.</p><p>And the more time passed, the more she tried to be exactly that.</p><p>In the midst of her patrol that particular day, late into the night as it always was, she stopped as she suddenly heard the sound of a guitar. Granted, it wasn’t rare for her to hear someone blasting music or playing an instrument in the evening, but there was something inherently familiar about the way the guitar was being played.</p><p>Deep down, she knew that there was only <em>one</em> person who could play guitar like that.</p><p>Ladybug turned her head towards the source of the sound, her heart involuntarily skipping a beat when she saw <em>him,</em> sitting on the balcony of a house she didn’t recognize.</p><p>Luka. He was just as she remembered: the highlights, the guitar, and the gentle blue eyes.</p><p>Ladybug sat on her heels, staring down at him curiously. How long had it been since she’d seen him? She knew it had to have been at least a few years, though she didn’t know the exact amount.</p><p>She wondered if that was his house. She wondered if the guitar in his arms was brand new or was cared for with years of love and attention. She wondered if he chose the balcony because he was playing for the night itself.</p><p>She wondered how he’d been doing since she’d cut him and everyone else out of her life.</p><p>Almost as if he’d sensed her, Luka suddenly glanced up to the rooftop she was on, his fingers bringing the song to a sudden end. She stiffened, just as his eyebrows rose at the sight of her.</p><p>He glanced down at his guitar, seeming to make the connection, then smiled up at her. Raising the volume of his voice so she’d hear, he asked, “Do you want a front-row seat, Ladybug?”</p><p>She blushed lightly, standing up and waving her hands dismissively. “Uh—no, I’m just passing by!”</p><p>But she couldn’t deny that he looked really inviting sitting there, and he <em>had</em> already noticed and spoken to her. She debated with herself for a good few seconds before deciding that a small conversation would be okay.</p><p>Patrols were supposed to be unpredictable in timing, after all, or else people could plan around them. Getting a little side-tracked helped with that, she supposed.</p><p>She took a few steps back, then took a running leap onto the balcony that Luka was seated at, just barely missing the table and chairs next to her. Glancing over at his welcoming smile, she put on her best superhero demeanor and simply asked, “Have you seen anything strange going on recently?”</p><p>He shook his head, though his expression didn’t change. “I haven’t.” He looked down at the neck of his guitar, running his hand along it. “Sorry I can’t be of more help.”</p><p>“Oh! No, it’s okay!” She frowned. She knew he meant patrol, but she couldn’t help thinking of when his identity had been compromised. “…It’s Viperion, right?”</p><p>He seemed pleasantly surprised. “I’m glad you remember.”</p><p>She bit back the <em>’of course I do’</em> and opted for a more formal, “It’s part of the job. Even if I can’t call on certain heroes anymore, I always remember them.” She glanced at his guitar. “It’s the same with your music, isn’t it?”</p><p>He chuckled. “You could say that.”</p><p>He played a quick melody that she recognized but didn’t dare put a name to. She’d only arrived to talk, not to be reminded of the past, so she averted her gaze to the fence around the balcony, idling running her fingers along the railing.</p><p>Reminded of one of her earlier musings, she commented, “This is a nice place. Is it yours?”</p><p>He hummed with a nod. “I bought it a few weeks ago.”</p><p>That explained why she’d never heard him play there before. “And the balcony?” She paused in thought, realizing after a moment, “I guess it’s no replacement for playing on a deck, but it’s the closest you can get to it?”</p><p>“<em>Mm.</em>” He leaned his chair back, propping his feet up on the railing. “It’s something. Nothing will ever beat the Liberty though.”</p><p>She understood to some degree. She’d moved out of the bakery as soon as she could and it took time to stop missing the warmth and scents. “But you’re happy at least?”</p><p>“Yeah,” he replied, though the look on his face was less “happy” than she would’ve expected from him. She supposed it was her memory failing her, given all their time away from each other.</p><p>“What about you?”</p><p>Her shoulder went stiff. “W-what?” Did he really just ask her for personal—</p><p>“Are you happy too?” he clarified, offering her a smile. “You deserve to be.”</p><p>She relaxed, though turned back to the fence to look at the night sky instead of him. It might’ve been a long time since they’d seen each other, but she was afraid that he’d read her somehow.</p><p><em>Happy.</em> She supposed that it depended on the definition one might use for it.</p><p>“…I’m happy that <em>Paris</em> is happy under my watch,” she finally answered. Eyes giving off a hint of a sparkle, she added, “I’m happy that it’s safe enough for musicians like you to stay up past their bedtime to play me songs.”</p><p>That earned her a chuckle, and she couldn’t help turning back to him to see what his face looked like. If it made her feel happy at all, she didn’t acknowledge it, the only hint being the wide smile on her face.</p><p>Luka had always been a special case. He was so unlike everyone else she knew, not only in the way he acted, but how he treated her. While she was never able to figure out how she felt about him, there was a gentle tug he had on her that she couldn’t deny.</p><p>Not that she missed him though. She didn’t, and she wasn’t lonely either.</p><p>She wasn’t lonely at all.</p><p>After his brief giggling fit was over, Luka dropped his feet from the railing, settling his chair back down before getting up. He turned, walking to the sliding glass door and pushing it open. “Do you want a drink before you go?”</p><p>She tilted her head at him. “A drink? Are you sure?”</p><p>In response, he slipped inside, the gentle tug urging her to follow after him. She was hesitant, but supposed it’d be rude to refuse him, so she walked into his house and closed the glass door behind her.</p><p>She couldn’t help smiling at the casual way he’d simply invited a superhero into his house.</p><p>The living room and kitchen weren’t separated by any wall, Luka heading towards the latter from the former after setting his guitar back on its stand. Ladybug took a look at her surroundings, noting that it wasn’t unlike his room on the Liberty. Anarka was messy, Juleka was more controlled, and Luka himself was cleanest just out of not having a ton of belongings.</p><p>There were a few instruments, of course, but she also noticed the same Jagged Stone poster from back in the day. In addition, there were two pictures hanging on the wall, one of his family and one of the time she’d taken a photo of Kitty Section for their contest entry. The family picture seemed to be from a time she wasn’t around him for, as he looked older than how she’d remembered.</p><p>Luka called from the kitchen, “What do you like?”</p><p>She turned to him. “Oh, tea’s fine, thank you.” Then, approaching the photos, she observed aloud, “You must be really close to your family and friends.”</p><p>“I am,” he replied, a smile in his voice. “Are you? You care so much about Paris that—”</p><p>“<em>No,</em>” she cut in. “I don’t have anyone like that.” She could tell that Luka was thrown off and continued, “It’s for the best.”</p><p>Luka didn’t reply, an awkward silence stretching on. She looked over at him, wondering if maybe he was pitying her, but he was occupying himself with making her tea. She turned away, walking over to his couch and taking a seat on it.</p><p>A few minutes passed. Luka returned to her with two mugs and offered her one. She took it, giving him a grateful nod, but waited until he sat down next to her to say, “You think it’s strange.”</p><p>“No,” Luka assured. “I’m just surprised. I’ve never been alone, so I don’t know how it must be for you.” He took a sip of his drink, then stared thoughtfully into the mug. “…And everyone already knows about Chat Noir having a girlfriend.”</p><p>She shrugged. “Chat Noir can afford to blurt out those kinds of things; to <em>have</em> those kinds of things. He doesn’t have the responsibilities that I do.”</p><p>On a basic level, she knew that she should’ve left it there. She’d held everything in for so long that she could do it for a few minutes longer, at least as long as she was staying there.</p><p>But it was always different with Luka. With Luka, all of her secrets and pent-up emotion grew wings and fluttered around her stomach like a swarm of her magical ladybugs, begging to come out and heal some unknown damage. Any attempt to drown them by sipping Luka’s tea just made them fly faster.</p><p>“…It was too exhausting,” she finally admitted.</p><p>Luka glanced over, giving her his attention.</p><p>She continued, “I used to have them, but it drained me. It was too much and I couldn’t balance it with my hero life. It felt like I was always doing <em>something</em> for <em>someone</em> and I couldn’t do it anymore without risking Paris.”</p><p>He didn’t respond verbally at first, but let out a sympathetic hum. He took another, much longer sip of his drink, and all Ladybug could think was, <em>Not you though. You weren’t that way.</em></p><p>“I wish it hadn’t been like that for you,” he told her, setting his drink down. “That’s not how it’s supposed to be, and it’s never been that way for me.”</p><p>She went to reply - to tell him it was okay and he shouldn’t worry - when she noticed a somber expression wash over his face. He averted his gaze from her, reaching into his pocket to pull out his phone.</p><p>Ladybug breathed up when she noticed his phone’s wallpaper: it was <em>her,</em> in civilian form, next to him, back when they were teenagers. She swallowed, seeing the soft look in his eyes even as he frowned, and wondered what exactly they’d talked about that made him think to pull out the image of her on his phone.</p><p>She’d tried not to think about it when she saw the pictures earlier, but apparently he still thought about her after all.</p><p>“Ah—” She leaned over, trying not to be obvious about what she was feeling. “Is that… your girlfriend?”</p><p>He glanced over at her, brows raised, then relaxed and shook his head. Managing a sad smile, he replied, “No. She knew I was interested in her, but I never got a reply; I never asked for one. I haven’t talked to her for years either. She just left one day.”</p><p>She stared down at her lap, running her free hand along her leg. “She—um—sounds unreliable. It was cruel of her to abandon you. Didn’t that hurt?”</p><p>He looked at his phone a moment longer, then set it down on the table. Leaning back, he tilted his head up at the ceiling and replied, “Not like that. Marinette doesn’t do anything without a reason, and I trust her. I—” He sighed. “—I was hurt because I wished that she would’ve relied on me.”</p><p>Ladybug gaped, blurting out, “You wanted her to rely on you <em>more?</em>” She covered her mouth as she realized what she’d said. “I-I mean, ah…” She tried to figure out a way to salvage it, but curiosity won over. “<em>Why?</em>”</p><p>“I wanted to see her happy,” he said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, “and I was happy to be the one she went to. It meant that she trusted me more than anyone else.”</p><p>Suddenly, Ladybug recognized the look in his eyes. It was the same look he gave her when he held her hands while they were ice skating together, and the same look he had on when he confessed. She didn’t understand it.</p><p>“But,” she began, trying to pull herself out of her speechless stupor, “you thought she didn’t return your feelings? Wasn’t it a bother?”</p><p>The soft gaze gone, he jolted up, looking at her like she’d offended him. “Marinette didn’t owe me anything, and her happiness doesn’t mean less to me because she didn’t feel the way I did. She didn’t take advantage of me and her relying on me isn’t suddenly a bother because we never dated. I cared about her, and I didn’t need anything else out of making her feel better.”</p><p>She blushed, both from the intensity of his words and the embarrassment from feeling as though she was being scolded. Unable to meet his eyes anymore, she stared down at her tea, drinking it slowly at first and then scarfing it down when she realized that it’d gone cold.</p><p>She wondered how many times he’d had to tell people that, given the way he so actively jumped on what she’d said. It wasn’t that he sounded <em>wrong,</em> but…</p><p>
    <em>wow.</em>
  </p><p>“I-I’m sorry,” she managed. “I didn’t mean to make it seem like…” She trailed off, biting her bottom lip.</p><p>Luka breathed out, rubbing the back of his neck. “It’s okay.” He averted his gaze, meaning neither of them were looking at each other anymore. “Marinette had a lot to deal with. She cared about everything and had so much talent. I can’t imagine how suffocating it was to be known by so many celebrities and have so many expectations put on her.” His hand twitched, then curled into a fist. “That’s why it puts me so out of tune when I see people talking about us like I was doing all the work or that I shouldn’t care as much because she might love someone else.”</p><p>Ladybug always thought that relationships were a give-and-take, and they were, but it hadn’t occurred to her that maybe she’d misconstrued what the “taking” part entailed. When she’d initially decided to cut off everyone, including Luka, it was because she wanted a completely clean break; to be separated from every person she’d put time into so she could focus on being Ladybug. It’d hurt, of course, but she’d gotten over it, hoping to put Paris as her top priority.</p><p>Luka had been an afterthought in a way, because she’d presumed that he would’ve done so much better without her there. She honestly believed that she was doing what was best for both herself <em>and</em> him, since everything she’d been taught implied that she was only troubling him.</p><p>Perhaps there <em>was</em> such a thing as “foolish selflessness” then, where she’d focused so much on what she thought might be best for him without actually confirming it. She thought she could be sure based on what she’d experienced before, but she couldn’t.</p><p>There was no one else quite like Luka, it seemed.</p><p>“…How did you know?” she asked, peeking up at him.</p><p>Luka looked over, blinking at her. “Know what?”</p><p>“That—” She took a breath, knowing that she was in too deep to back out now. “That you were in love with her?”</p><p>His eyes went wide. She grew sheepish, pulling her empty mug closer to her face like she was ready to hide behind it.</p><p>“If it’s too personal, that’s okay. I’ve just—never seen someone as sure as you are.”</p><p>After a few seconds, Luka calmed, his expression turning thoughtful. He stared straight ahead of him, looking at nothing in particular, then finally smiled.</p><p>“Maybe it’s because I didn’t grow up with a normal family,” he mused, “but I’ve always thought about love differently.”</p><p>She tilted her head at him. “How so?” Then, hesitantly, she suggested, “Do you mean you’re not <em>really</em> in love with her romantically?”</p><p>“No, I am,” he stated, and so bluntly that she started blushing again, “but it was never about that for me.”</p><p>He eyed his phone, though it’d already gone dark from being idle. “Dating, marriage… those aren’t things I think about when I see Marinette.” He smiled, the softness in his eyes coming back. “Of course I’d be happy going however far she wanted with those, but I don’t think loving someone should be about worrying about things like that.”</p><p>“Really?” She leaned towards him. “Then, what <em>do</em> you think when you see her?”</p><p>He met her gaze, accidentally directing that softness her way. For a moment, it was like she was her civilian self, and it was impossible not to feel loved.</p><p>“That I want to <em>be</em> with her,” Luka answered, “forever, if she’d let me. Whether we’re friends or lovers, I want to be able to make her happy and let her rely on me. If there’s something bothering her, I want her to know that I’ll listen, no matter what it’s about. I want her to be comfortable and not worry about what I’ll think, because she knows I won’t judge her.” He placed a hand to his heart, gaze dropping to the couch. “That’s love to me.”</p><p>Ladybug absorbed that, but was unable to say anything coherent outside of, “Oh,” her heart doing a flip in her chest.</p><p>He chuckled. “I know it might sound weird. You don’t have to—”</p><p>“<em>No,</em>” she cut in, voice softer than intended. She swallowed, her tone returning to normal as she assured, “I think it’s really sweet. I wish that I—I mean, I wish that more people could hear that sort of thing. It’s touching.”</p><p>He hummed, staring at her with a look of content. “Thank you.” Eyes drifting downwards, he held his hand out and asked, “Do you want me to take that?”</p><p>“What?” She looked, only now remembering her empty mug. “Oh, yeah, thanks.”</p><p>She handed it to him, and Luka took both mugs back to the kitchen to put them in the sink. She watched him, feeling all too much and once and not knowing how to process it.</p><p>The idea of it being so simple had never occurred to her; that things like rejection or marriage or children suddenly wouldn’t matter, and being content just <em>loving</em> and <em>being</em> with a person was where true happiness lied. She was used to being dragged around towards someone, insisting that her love from long ago had to be a certain way, and that any exceptions would make it imperfect.</p><p>The force of it caused her nothing but pain and anxiety, and the “love” she felt was all the more fake for it.</p><p>What she had for - <em>with</em> - Luka wasn’t like that though. She knew it from the start, but didn’t know what it <em>meant.</em></p><p>Luka’s wasn’t forceful; it was the gentle tug she’d felt and needed all along. Suddenly, everything made sense.</p><p>“…I should probably go,” she admitted, glancing over at the window. “I need to get back to patrol.”</p><p>The wind in her face would probably do her good. She had a lot to think about.</p><p>Luka came back from the kitchen, heading for the sliding glass doors and picking up his guitar on the way. “You probably should. Thanks for coming in for a while though.” He was apologetic as he added, “You deserved the break, but I’m sorry if things got a little heavy for you.”</p><p>“Not at all,” she assured, pushing herself up and walking to stand next to him. She smiled at him, acknowledging, “I think it was just heavy enough, actually.”</p><p>It was Luka, so of course he didn’t prod or ask questions; he just returned her smile with his own.</p><p>She passed him, partway into the doorframe before something occurred to her. She glanced back at him, his smile turning into a lopsided frown as he didn’t seem to know what she was thinking. Placing a hand on the frame of the glass door, close to where his hand still was, she leaned towards him and kissed his cheek.</p><p>She grinned as she pulled away, admiring the way his brows rose in surprise. Giggling, she whispered, “<em>For good luck,</em>” promptly turning away and hopping onto the fence.</p><p>She then leapt away, continuing the patrol that she’d put on hold. Even though she hadn’t looked back at him when she left, his face was vivid in her mind as she beamed, the adrenaline from patrol unable to compete with the way her heart had already been pounding.</p><p>
    <em>I want to be with you.</em>
  </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
    <b>Marinette</b>
  </p><p>Luka?</p><p>…Please tell me you didn’t change your number. I might die of embarrassment if you did.</p><p> </p><p>
    <b>Luka</b>
  </p><p>Marinette?</p><p> </p><p>
    <b>Marinette</b>
  </p><p>Luka!</p><p>Thank goodness.</p><p> </p><p>
    <b>Luka</b>
  </p><p>Did something happen?</p><p> </p><p>
    <b>Marinette</b>
  </p><p>No!</p><p>Yes?</p><p>…Look, I know this probably sounds really out of nowhere and it won’t make a lot of sense, but I was thinking about you.</p><p>I have been for a while.</p><p>I know I have a lot of explaining to do, but can I take you out somewhere? Not as an apology, even though I’m really sorry, but because I want to.</p><p>You don’t have to say “yes.”</p><p>You don’t have to want to talk to me ever again either.</p><p> </p><p>
    <b>Luka</b>
  </p><p>…What if I want to do all of those?</p><p> </p><p>
    <b>Marinette</b>
  </p><p>Oh.</p><p>Then… I guess it’d be a date?</p><p> </p><p>
    <b>Luka</b>
  </p><p>Just me and you?</p><p> </p><p>
    <b>Marinette</b>
  </p><p>Yeah. Just you and me.</p><p>Mostly me.</p><p>Because I’ll be paying and I don’t want to hear one word of complaint out of you.</p><p>Alright?</p><p> </p><p>
    <b>Luka</b>
  </p><p>Ha. Alright.</p><p>It’s a date.</p><p> </p><p>
    <b>Marinette</b>
  </p><p>Yes!</p><p> </p><p>
    <b>Luka</b>
  </p><p>I have to warn you though, Marinette.</p><p> </p><p>
    <b>Marinette</b>
  </p><p>About what?</p><p> </p><p>
    <b>Luka</b>
  </p><p>I’m going to be smiling a lot when we meet up. I hope that’s okay.</p><p> </p><p>
    <b>Marinette</b>
  </p><p><em>That’s</em> what you’re worried about??</p><p>Don’t.</p><p>I will be too.</p></div>
  </div></div>
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